There are only four major professional sports leagues in North America. So you would think the self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” would at least know the names of the teams that play in those leagues. And yet, time after time after time, they continue to mangle the name of one of the best teams in Major League Baseball.

We don’t even know how many dozens of times the talking heads in Bristol referred to the team as the “Tampa Rays.” A phenomenon that we find bizarre considering we NEVER hear anybody say “Tampa Bucs” or “Tampa Lightning.” And those teams actually, you know, play in Tampa.

Exhibit ‘A’ is the American League East, where both the Yankees and Devil Rays are almost assured of a trip to the postseason.

Unbelievable. Hey, if you are a fan
and want to keep calling them the “Devil Rays” because you liked that moniker better, that is fine. But if you want to be a sportswriter, GET THE GOD DAMNED NAME RIGHT. Cool? Cool.

Three reasons:
1) Not much prep work...mainly just reading prepared script where it is easy to inject/omit words
2) unknowledgeable people, hired for camera presence instead of "sports experience"
3) low "respect" for the Rays...not as "important" as the reporting on the "Big Boys"
If you want to be a "sports writer" be "COOL"...not smart!

Couldn't figure out how Jayson Stark had a column last week about "things have never been more in doubt" (or words to that effect) for the Rays franchise. And of course, Gammons is already casting doubt on their future, so that his BoSox (he appears on the NESN post-game shows -- how isn't that some ethical conflict?) are relevant again.